BALLET - YAGP 2022 Finals Pre-Competitive Gold Medalist - Yuna Yamada - Age 9 - Talisman

YAGP 2022 Finals Pre-Competitive Gold Medalist, Yuna Yamada, Age 9, from Kinue Kobayashi Ballet Studio (Japan) performs Variation from Talisman.

Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) is the world's largest student ballet scholarship competition and global dance network, connecting students, teachers, schools, dance companies, and audiences worldwide. Now in its 22nd season, YAGP has reached more than 150,000 participants worldwide through its international ballet workshops, ballet auditions, ballet competitions, and ballet master classes.

To date, over $4 million has been awarded to young dancers in scholarships to leading dance schools worldwide, including The Ailey School, American Ballet Theatre JKO School, The Australian Ballet School, Ballet West Academy, Berlin State Ballet School, Bolshoi Ballet Academy Summer Intensive, Boston Ballet School, Canada’s National Ballet School, Dutch National Ballet Academy, English National Ballet School, European School of Ballet, Houston Ballet Academy, John Cranko School of The Stuttgart Ballet, The Juilliard School, Paris Opera Ballet School, Princess Grace Academy, The Rock School for Dance Education, The Royal Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet School, The Washington School of Ballet, and Zurich Dance Academy, among other preeminent institutions in the U.S. and abroad.

More than 450 YAGP alumni are now dancing in over 80 leading companies around the world – American Ballet Theatre, The Australian Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Boston Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Dresden Semperoper Ballett, Finnish National Ballet, Houston Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet, Miami City Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, The Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin, and The Stuttgart Ballet, among others – with more than 100 of them in soloist or principal dancer positions.

The annual YAGP Gala at Lincoln Center, Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow, features the biggest stars of the world’s leading dance companies, many of whom had their NYC debuts* at the YAGP Gala, alongside the rising ballerinas and male dancers of tomorrow.

Past guest artists have included such luminaries as Nina Ananiashvili, Roberto Bolle, Ashley Bouder, Darcey Bussell, José Manuel Carreño, Misty Copeland, Robert Fairchild, Marcelo Gomes, David Hallberg, Maria Kochetkova, Ekaterina Kondaurova, Isabelle Guerin, Lucia Lacarra, Manuel Legris, Vladimir Malakhov, Gillian Murphy, Marianela Nunez, Evgenia Obraztsova, Natalia Osipova*, Xander Parish, Tiler Peck, Tamara Rojo, Daniil Simkin, Polina Semionova*, Olga Smirnova, Yuan Yuan Tan, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, Daniel Ulbricht, Ivan Vasiliev*, Diana Vishneva, Wendy Whelan, and many other dance legends.

YAGP was the subject of the 2011 award-winning First Position documentary, which followed six participants on their journey to compete at YAGP’s annual NYC Finals.

[AdirondackRuby]

She's so delicate and controlled. A big future awaits her, for sure!

[Emily-tuxl]

She's so strong!! Keep up the good work Yuna!

[Dulciethecat]

She’s not actually on pointe yet, but she looks as if she is. Quite remarkable performance, a joy to watch.

[olgaazarcenkova]

Сказочный эльф, само совершенство, маленькая

[yuki-chan]

I went through many competitions and what I can say, is that she’s amazing. Fall or do a mistake, pick yourself up! Good job Yuna!

[АлександраНиколаева-ьь]

It was really beautiful. I was nervous cause the dancer did this tiny little step out and felt herself so sad that I was worried she would do more mistakes. But she's really tough soldier! Finish was brilliant 😁 that was great performance, please dont get upset))

[wilted.]

I love watching these types of videos. All those children (and teenagers, correct me if I’m wrong) are so talented! Yuna has beautiful control when she dances! When I was 9, I was barely learning how to do a single pirouette.

[Bal]

Lovely. Great recovery there too. A beautiful talent indeed!

[мэришпопинс]

На эти руки можно смотреть бесконечно. Красота 👏👏👏

[aolian]

Oh my goodness this was amazing!! I don’t know much about ballet, I just enjoy the beautiful dancers making art look graceful despite it being so taxing, and I gotta say this little dancer has so much talent. Clearly a product of hard work with a natural flair of elegance from I’ve seen that makes a lead dancer. Amazing job again her extensions were marvellous.

[yangqvr]

her arabesque and attitude back is so beautiful omg

[natapimama]

This is a really beautiful performance. I don't know if it's the lines or her enjoyment and sincerity, but I just loved it.

[lunarobloxplayz]

She’s really talented! I’m learning ballet and I really wish I can be like her one day 😊💞

[TVY]

What exceptional promise! A charming and delightful performance.

[Pockymochi]

She's so young! but so amazing! she will become a wonderful ballerina on pointe one day!

[cRaZyBaNaNaSs]

Even though she fell, she pulled through and aced it! Good job

[ОксанаЛиходзиевская]

Легая красивая воздушная девочка !! Молодец умница ! Удачи !!

[mxjwr]

She was pretty nervous, she also tripped, but she is such a beautiful dancer, that even such a small mistake dosent affect her courage! Bravo!

[MJsaBitterLemon]

She is going to be amazing when she grows up! Her balance needs improvement, but it's normal for a child to struggle with that. Developmentally, a nine year old often just doesn't have the ability to develop that sense of balance.

[victorialeung]

I love this dance! Her feet are beautiful, I think she’s ready for pointe! Her legs are high, and it’s really impressive when her leg is up on the back.